


The Alpha Rose

by Pupmon1



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Faunus AU, Lizard Faunus Yang, Multi, Poor Weiss, The sisters are faunus, wolf faunus ruby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-06 08:25:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8742313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pupmon1/pseuds/Pupmon1
Summary: Well...Weiss better get used to faunus this time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on FFN.

Ruby stood at the back of the dust shop, her hood up over her head as always. No one was in the store, thankfully. The store owner was busy cleaning his counter, so no one noticed the girl in the red hood, and no one noticed the hood twitch a little as she reads the magazine in her hands.

The girl was so enamored in her magazine on weapons, she doesn’t notice the thugs walk in with their guns. Not until at least, she feels one of them grab her hood. She suddenly whips around and grabs her hood, keeping it on. The man in the black suit points his gun at her. “Hands in the air!” he snaps, as if he had already said it before.

“Are you...robbing me?” Ruby wondered simply. She had seen robberies and such on television...but she never assumed it was really like this.

“Yes!” he insists, still pointing his gun at the young girl.

The girl nodded slightly. “Ah.” She smiled for a moment before grabbing the red gun on her back and swinging it outward, knocking him across the store. She means to turn back to her magazine when she sees another man come down the aisle. She let out a sigh before charging with her semblance, sending both her and the man through the window of the shop. She landed on her feet, and slowly stood, her beautiful Crescent Rose deploying on her shoulder. She watches as the man in a white suit with a bowler hat scowled at her as him and his goons rushed outside to face her. She smirked, her silver eyes hidden in the shadow of her hood as she spun her scythe around her body. She quickly impaled it in the ground and smiled at the men.

The leader looked between his two remaining men. “Okay...get her!” he ordered.

The men jumped to attention and ran at Ruby, who waited until they were too close to dodge, she quickly yanked her scythe from the ground and fired at one of the men, the staff of the scythe whipping around and smacking the other in the head. Then she slashed at the one in front of her, knocking him away into a back alley, then she noticed the man behind her, charging at her with a sword. She fired her gun, using its momentum to flip herself around. She slammed the blade of her scythe into his side, then flicked her hand upward, sending the man flying into the air. Then she lurched forward, pulling the blade of her weapon up under her feet. She fired into the air, able to easily shoot herself into the air to catch up with the man. She fired again once she was above him, easily flipping around and sending the staff of her weapon into the man’s gut, slamming him into the ground at the man’s feet.

The man in bowler hat looks down at the defeated man at feet. “You were worth every cent. Truly, you were.” the man turns his attention to the girl in red before him as the faint, yet distinct sound of sirens are heard breaking the silence of the night. “Well, Red, we can all say its been an eventful evening,” the man says as he drops his cigar and smothers it with his cane, “and as much as I’d love to stick around…” he raises his cane and the end pops off, revealing the barrel of a gun, and a scope, “I’m afraid this is where we part ways.”

Ruby braced herself to dodge an attack, which was the right maneuver. A bolt of energy was fired at her from the strange gun. She quickly shot at the ground, forcing herself backward into the air to avoid the blast. When she landed she quickly looked around for the escaping criminal. At first, she didn’t see the man in the bowler hat, then she noticed him climbing a ladder up to a roof of a nearby building.

Ruby glanced back at the shop owner standing by the door. “You okay if I go after him?” she asked carefully, not wanting to leave him alone defenseless.

The man nods, giving out a grunt of conformation. Ruby smiled, a small fang poking out from behind her lips. She quickly turned away and ran towards the building. She grabbed the lowest rung with her scythe and launched herself upward. She landed on the rooftop in a flurry of rose petals.

“Hey!” she called out.

The man stopped at the opposite edge of the roof and spun around to find her standing there, her face hidden by her hood. “Persistent…” he growled.

Ruby smiled and gripped her scythe. She tenses her muscles to lash out with her blade when suddenly a Bullhead rose up behind the man she had been chasing. She steps back as he turns to hop on board as a hatch opened on the getaway vehicle. He held up a red dust crystal.

“End of the line, Red,” he said teasingly.

He hopped on the Bullhead, the proceed to throw the gem at the young girl in red. He shot at the crystal, and the next thing Ruby knew, there were flashes of purple and red and ringing in her ear. The explosion had acted similarly to a flash grenade, impairing the young girl, with a loud ringing in her sensitive ears. She swayed a little and after what felt like only a few seconds to her, her vision cleared. She found herself staring at a woman in a black and purple cloak, a glance at the Bullhead revealed another woman in a form-fitting red dress, her face was hidden, only her glowing amber eyes visible.

Quickly Ruby retracted her weapon into sniper form and fired at the woman in the Bullhead, though it quickly proved futile as she blocked the shots easily with aura. With a wave of her hands, several strange circles of energy appear around the two on the roof. The woman standing in front of Ruby flicks the strange riding crop like wand in her hand, and suddenly the girl was forced backward. Ruby watched as woman rolled forward. Just in time too as the roof where they were standing exploded.

Ruby glanced up at the Bullhead to see the hatch begin to close as it pulls away. Neither person on the roof could get to their feet fast enough to stop it from flying away, the bullhead disappearing into the distance. Ruby slowly rose to her feet, taking a moment to pull her hood back enough to reveal her face. She walked up to the woman, who pushed her glasses up her nose.

“You’re a huntress!” the little girl in the red hood said excitedly. Suddenly, as her expression turns excitedly pleading, her hood falls off, is more accurately forced off by the girl’s two wolf ears as they pricked up. The girl barely noticed as she continued, “Can I have your autograph?”

* * *

The next thing Ruby knew, she was escorted to the police station and sat down in an interrogation room. A bright light shines down from the ceiling as the woman from before paces around the young girl. She was so nervous and afraid she couldn’t even move to put on her hood...though her ears were so close to her head, it probably wouldn’t matter at this point.

“I hope you realize that your actions today will not be taken lightly. You put yourself and others in great danger,” the huntress scolded.

Ruby’s ears perked and she looked up. “They started it!” she growled insistently.

The woman stopped her pacing and looked down at Ruby. “If it were up to me, you’d be sent home...with a pat on the back,” Ruby perked up when she heard this, and the woman noticed. “And a slap on the wrist!” to emphasize her point, she slammed her wand on the table. Ruby yelped and jumped back in her chair, pulling her hands out of slapping range. Her ears laid flat and she gulped.

Then she looked up as the woman backed away and sighed. “But...there is someone here who would like to meet you…”

Ruby looked at the doorway as a silver-haired man she knew very well walked through the door...Professor Ozpin. That must mean that the woman who stepped back was Glynda Goodwitch...she feels a little stupid for not realizing before.

The young faunus is snapped from her thoughts when she notices a plate of cookies placed in front of her. Ozpin leaned over the table towards the girl. She leaned away as the man spoke. “Ruby Rose…”

Ruby let out a soft whimper, people have always looked at her strange, even the other faunus because her ears are like her hair, black with red tips. But…what Ozpin actually says, leaves her stunned for a moment. “You...have silver eyes…”

Ruby blinks a few times, then nods, stunned a little. “Uh...yeah…”

“So!” Ozpin said quickly as he stood. He gestured over at the scroll in Glynda’s hands. “Where did you learn to do this?”

“Uh...S-Signal Academy?” Ruby answered softly, fearfully.

“They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?”

“W-well...one teacher...in particular…”

“I see.”

Ozpin slid the plate of cookies towards the girl. Ruby looked down at the cookies...chocolate chip, her favorite. She hesitantly reaches out and takes one, keeping her eyes on Ozpin like she’s expecting this to be hurt by this action. She carefully eats it, then, when she notices there were no repercussions, she quickly started eating.

Ozpin spoke as the girl wolfed down cookies. “It’s just that I’ve only seen one other scythe wielder of that of that skill before. A dusty, old crow…”

The man trials off and Ruby’s ears pricked at the mention of ‘a dusty, old crow’. “Oh! That’s my uncle!” she says with a full mouth. She quickly swallowed and wiped the crumbs off her mouth. “Ah, sorry. That’s my Uncle Qrow! He’s a teacher at Signal,” she notices Ozpin look down at her, with interest, and her previous nervousness of being judged for what she is disappears. “I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing, and now, I’m all like Hyah!” Ruby excitedly made different karate and sounds until the professor caught his attention.

“So I’ve noticed,” he said as he sat across from Ruby. He put his coffee cup on the table and watched her carefully...how she responded to his next question. “And what is such an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?”

“Well...I wanna be a huntress,” came the simple answer.

“You want to slay monsters?”

“Yeah! I only have two more years of training left at Signal! And then I’m going to apply to Beacon!” As Ruby spoke, her voice became more hurried, more excited. “You see, my sister’s starting there this year, and she’s trying to become a Huntress, and I’m trying to become a Huntress ‘cause I wanna help people. My parents always taught us to help other, so I thought, ‘Hey, I might as well make a career out of it! I mean the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and cool and really, gosh, you know?!?”

Ruby looked up at the two with a large smile, forgetting the company she’s in. The two study her for a moment before looking at each other. Then Ozpin looked back at Ruby. “Do you know who I am?”

Ruby relaxed a little and answered plainly. “You’re Professor Ozpin. You’re the headmaster at Beacon.”

Ozpin smiles, amusedly at the girl. “Hello.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“You want to come to my school?”

Ruby put her hands in her lap and spoke truthfully. “More than anything.”

Ozpin glanced back at Glynda, who simply sighed and rolled her eyes. The professor smiled as he turned back to Ruby. “Well...okay.”

Ruby smiled happily, her ears pricked and small fangs showing. Both adults turned and left, leaving the young faunus alone, though only for a moment before Ozpin peaked his head in to add. “By the way, your ship leaves tomorrow morning, I’d hurry.”

Ruby suddenly hopped to her feet and hurried out of the room, only stopping at the front desk of the police station to retrieve her precious weapon.

* * *

Ruby wandered around the ship’s deck, looking at all her soon to be classmates. Her hood covers her head, just enough to hide her ears. All is quiet and calm...until she sees her sister, Yang Xiao Long, come running at her. She’s a large girl...enough to scare anyone.

Ruby makes sure to stand very still as her sister runs up and practically tackles her in a big hug. “Oh, I can’t believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!”

Ruby gasped and coughed a little as her sister practically squeezed the air, and life, out of her. “Please stop…”

Yang quickly jumped back and smiled happily. “But I’m so proud of you!”

“Really sis...it was nothing.”

“What do you mean?!?” Yang exclaimed. “It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you’re the bee’s knees.”

“I don’t want to be the ‘bee’s knees,’ okay?” Ruby insisted. “I don’t want to be any kind of knees! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees.”

As she said this, she pulled down her hood more...making sure her ears aren’t twitching or poking up. Unlike her sister and the ridge of scales down her back, Ruby was ashamed of that which made her a faunus...Yang knew that, and was careful to avoid it.

“What’s with you?” Yang asked. “Aren’t you excited?”

“Of course I’m excited...I just…” Ruby paused with a sigh, taking a moment to think about her answer. “I got moved ahead two years. I don’t want people to think I’m special or anything.”

Yang calmly walked over to her sister and put an arm around her. “But you are special.”

Ruby sighed a little, though before she could answer, the screen near the two sisters turned to the Vale News Network. On the screen is a mug shot of the man from the night before, with a man talking over it. It was actually covering the previous night’s robbery.

“The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa.

The image changes to Lisa Lavender, a well-known reporter, and in the corner of the screen a picture of a faunus riot. “Thank you, Cyril. In other news, this Saturday’s Faunus Civil Rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fan disrupted the ceremony.” The image of the protest changed to a red growling wolf’s head with three jagged scratch marks behind it. “The once peaceful organization has now disrupted…”

The newscast was interrupted when a hologram of Glynda Goodwitch appeared. “Hello, and welcome to Beacon.”

“Who’s that?” Yang leaned over and asked her sister. Though before the girl in red could answer, Glynda ironically did.

“My name is Glynda Goodwitch.”

“Oh…”

“You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world.” With that short speech over, Glynda disappeared, revealing the view being her.

Ruby gasped with excitement and surprised, suddenly noticing the view, now that she was staring at the window. “Oh, wow! Look, you can see Signal from up here!” Ruby walked over to the window, and her hood twitched as her ears pricked. She stared out the window, looking over at Patch that was once her home. “I guess home isn’t too far after all.

Yang stepped forward and put a hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “Beacon’s our home now.”

The two enjoy the moment, watching their home get smaller and smaller until a sound graced their ears. The sound of someone hurling and running backward.

Yang rolled her eyes and sighed. “Well...I guess the view isn’t for everyone.”

“It was a nice moment while it lasted,” Ruby said softly. Ruby turned her attention back to the school growing larger as they neared it. “I wonder who we’re gonna meet!” she said excitedly.

Yang groaned and replied, “I just hope they’re better than Vomit Boy…”

As Yang said this...Ruby noticed something on her foot. “Oh, Yang gross! You have puke on your shoe!”

“Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!”

“Get-Get away! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!”

The rest of the short trip is spent trying to find a way to get rid of said puke without using Ruby’s cape.


	2. Chapter 2

The two sisters exit of the ship was delayed by a quick trip to the bathroom to deal with the puke. When they exited the ship, the hurried past the boy hurling into a trash can. The two calmly walk down the paved path towards Beacon’s entrance.

“Wow…” they both mutter in stunned wonder, taking in Beacon Academy as a whole. They had always seen its silhouette imposing in the distance when they visited Vale, but they never imagined it was this big.

Yang’s gaze followed the length of the tower in front of them. “The view from Vale’s got nothing on this!”

While Yang was gazing upon the school, Ruby was watching the other people that arrived with them. She was enamored by not the people, but what they were carrying. “Ohmygosh, sis! That kid’s got a collapsible staff! And she’s got a fire sword!” The hyper girl followed the weapons that caught her eye or tried to.

Her sister looked at her funny before reaching over and grabbing the cape of her cloak and pulling it back, and its owner along with it. “Ow! Ooww!”

“Easy there, little sister. They’re just weapons!” she said simply. She didn’t share her sister's enthrallment of weapons.

“Just weapons?” Ruby echoed. She didn’t even notice her ear prick and her hood move a little. “They’re an extension of ourselves! They’re a part of us! Oh, they’re so cool!”

Yang looked at her sister strangely. “Well, why can’t you swoon over your own weapon? Aren’t you happy with it?”

Ruby quickly drew her scythe, expanding it fully and practically cradling it in her arms, her ears pricking and flipping off her hood without her realizing. “Of course I’m happy with Crescent Rose! I just really like seeing new ones. It’s like meeting new people, but better…”

Yang quickly reached back and pulled her hood back over her head, glad no one saw. She pulled it over further, down over her eyes, to keep Ruby believing her hood never fell off. “Ruby, come on, why don’t you go try and make some friend of your own?” she purposed.

Ruby pulled her hood back to reveal her face and eyes. “But...why would I need friends if I have you?” She asked quietly.

“Well…” Yang glanced around as her friends suddenly came up. “Actually, my friends are here. Gotta go catch up. ‘Kay, c’ya, bye,” she said quickly as her friends pulled her away.

Ruby was sent reeling by the sudden disappearance of her sister. “Wait, where are you going?!?” she called out, though her sister was gone. “Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?” Ruby stopped and sighed. “I don’t know what I’m doing…”

Ruby sighs and falls backward...into a luggage cart, not helping her figure out what’s going on. Cases go flying off the cart...and suddenly a harsh, yet proper voice screeched. “What are you doing?!?”

Ruby slowly got up groaning softly. “Uh...sorry!” she said carefully. She looked up and found a girl in a white dress, a strange rapier hung at her side, and her pure white hair was tied up in a side pony tail. But none of this is what stood out the most was the scar over her left eye...Ruby could tell it wasn’t more than a year old.

“Sorry?!?” the girl screeched again. “Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?”

Ruby knelt down and picked up one of the white cases, a snowflake pattern adorning the side. “Uhhh?”

“Give me that!” the girl snapped. She snatched the luggage from the confused girl and opened it to reveal similarly marked vials of what appeared to be dust. “This is Dust, mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!”

Ruby blinked in confusion. Wasn’t...all dust mined and purified from some Schnee quarry somewhere? What makes this girl important? The faunus girl stared at the girl in white.

The white haired girl stared at Ruby for a moment. “What are you brain-dead?” she snapped. She reached into the case and pulled out a vial of red Dust, shutting the case with a bang. “Dust! Fire, waster, lightning, energy!”

The girl shook her fist angrily as she spoke and powdered flew into the air, specifically around Ruby. She tried to answer, but her words were overtaken by a violent cough. The young faunus was sensitive to Dust in its raw form, it could be considered an allergy by some, but more simply a nuisance by the girl, meaning she could only use processed Dust, the Dust cartridges used in weapons.

The girl in white seemed annoyed at the girl she was dealing with. “Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in?” she demanded, as she shook her fist more. “What have you got to say for yourself?!?”

Ruby continued to be annoyed by the Dust until eventually, she sneezed. There was an explosion of fire, ice, and energy. Ruby barely sees what happens in the cloud of Dust but when it clears in front of her stands a the girl in white still, but she was no longer white, but gray with soot.

The girl looked at her clothes with disgust and appall. “Unbelievable!” she said as she began to wipe off all the soot. “This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!”

Ruby shied away, she felt her ears press against her head, her hood twitching just a little. “I’m really, really sorry!” she insisted.

“Ugh, you complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren’t you a little young to be attending Beacon?” she snapped.

“Well, I-I…”

“This isn’t your ordinary combat school. It’s not just sparring and practice, you know! We’re here to fight monsters, so...watch where you’re going!”

Ruby had finally had enough of this girl and her pompous attitude. “Hey, I said I was sorry, princess,” she growled, almost literally.

The girl in white opened her mouth to rebuttal when a voice, soft not unlike a cat given voice. “Its heiress, actually.”

The two bickering girls turned to see a girl in black and white clothing. On her back was a small sword like thing, and she had long beautiful black hair, tied up in a bow. Ruby took a moment and examined the girl, she could sense something about her...something cat like. The newcomer looked over at the white haired girl and spoke again. “Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. One of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world.”

The girl, Weiss Schnee, smiled smugly and put her hands on her hip. “Finally! Some recognition!”

The cat girl seemed to glare at Weiss. “The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners.”

Weiss seems fluttered and angry at that comment, and Ruby couldn’t help but chuckle at her expression. “Wha- how dare you- The nerve of...ugh!” Weiss marched up to the cat girl and glared up in her face. She snatched back the bottle of Dust the other girl was carrying, then stormed off as some...butlers, Ruby guessed, gathered her things and followed.

Ruby, still sorry for her actions, called out to Weiss’ retreating form. “I promise I’ll make this up to you!” Ruby let out a sigh when Weiss ignored her call. “I guess I’m not the only one having the rough first day...so, what’s…” Ruby paused when she saw the cat girl walk away already. The young faunus let out a defeated sigh and sank to the ground, almost collapsing, to her knees. Then she leaned back and said softly. “Welcome to Beacon….”

Ruby stayed on the ground, resigning to her fate of being a social outcast until another person came and stood over her. She looked up to find a boy with short blonde hair, wearing a strange mismatch of armor and casual clothes.

The boy reaches down, holding out a hand for the girl to take. “Hey...I’m Juane.”

Ruby paused for a moment, making sure her hood would stay on before she took his hand. “Ruby,” she said softly. Then she recognizes the boy that just helped her up. “Aren’t you the guy that threw up on the ship?”

* * *

The two ended up wandering around the grounds as they talked to each other, the boy named Juane was explaining motion sickness to the cloaked girl.

“All I’m saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!” he insists.

Ruby tries to hold in a laugh as she responds. “Look, I’m sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind.”

Jaune glared at the girl for a moment. “Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?” he countered.

“Hey! That explosion was an accident!” Ruby growled defensively. Her hood twitched, but Jaune was busy making grand gestures as he introduced himself properly.

“Well, the name’s Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it!”

Ruby looked over at the boy in front of her, nothing but skepticism in her silver eyes. “Do they?”

“They will! Well...I-I hope they will.” The boy’s confidence wavered, and he chuckled nervously. “My mom always says that...never mind…”

Ruby giggled before silence fell between the two. She squirmed nervously and closed her eyes before she finally spoke. “So...I got this thing.” She pulled her weapon out and expanded it fully, spinning it around her body before stabbing it into the ground.

Jaune jumped back, surprised by the large weapon. “Whoa! Is that a scythe?”

Ruby smiled at his reaction. She always loved watching people react to her beautiful weapon...or scary weapon. “It’s also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!” she explained as she pulled her weapon from the ground.

“A-wha…?”

Ruby smiled and cocked her gun. “It’s also a gun.”

“Oh,” Jaune looked at the girl in front of him differently now. “That’s cool!”

“So...what’ve you got?”

“Oh! I, uh…” Jaune nervously pulled out a pain sword out of the sheath on his side. “I got this sword!” he said proudly.

“Ooooo!”

“Yeah, and I’ve got a shield, too!” Before Ruby could ask where, Juane grabbed his sheath and gripped it in his hand, and it expanded into a proper shield, with a yellow symbol on it.

Ruby reached out, gripping her scythe incase something happened. “So...what do they do?” she asked as she touched the shield.

As if the mechanism was failing, the shield suddenly retracted and snapped off his arm. Ruby jumped back at the sudden loud snap and blinked a few times. He fumbled with it, trying to get it under control and put it back on his belt. “The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just...put it away…”

Ruby paused and looked at Jaune, confused. “But...wouldn’t it weigh the same?”

Jaune sighed and looked down, defeated. “Yeah...it does…”

Ruby giggled, then stroked her weapon lovingly. “Well, I’m kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, so I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it,” she admitted softly.

Jaune paused, taking in what the hooded girl just said. “Wait...you made that?!?”

“Of course!” Ruby answered like it should be obvious. “All students at Signal forge their own weapons! Didn’t you make yours?”

“It’s a hand-me-down…” Jaune explained, examining his blade. “My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war.”

“Sound more like a family heirloom to me!” Ruby said with a laugh. Then she noticed Jaune’s serious look. “Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days.”

“Yeah...the classics…” Jaune mumbled as he sheathed his sword.

Ruby sensed this wasn’t the best topic to discuss, so she dropped it. Continuing on her way, she spoke so Jaune knew she was moving, and to try and cheer him up. “So...why’d you help me out back there? In the courtyard?”

Jaune quickly sprinted to fall into step beside her. “Eh, why not? My mom always says, ‘strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet’.”

“Hmm…” Ruby nodded a little, her sister used to say the same thing...but she never believed her. She shook her head, then looked around carefully. “Hey, where are we going?”

“Oh, I don’t know! I was following you,” Jaune responded. “Y-you think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of...recognizable landmark?” Ruby couldn’t help but laugh at his suggestions. “Is, uh...Is that a no?”

Ruby chuckled and stifled laugh. “That’s a ‘no’.”

The young faunus looked around carefully and noticed a few other students heading towards what she could only assume as the main building...it’s the largest spire. “Let’s follow them.”

Jaune looked up and blinked a few times. “Yeah okay.”

And so the two walked off, following the crowd. Though its probably the last time they’ll ever do that. Ruby didn’t know why...but she had this feeling that the two of them would do something important...it made her ears itch.


	3. Chapter 3

Eventually, the two managed to find their way to the huge auditorium, which was the bottom floor of the large building Ruby had suggested before. Inside the crowded room, Ruby notices a blonde haired girl waving her down. “Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!”

Ruby nervously looked over at Jaune. “Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! See you after the ceremony!” she said simply before hurrying off. She didn’t hear Jaune try to call out to her.

The little faunus scurried over to her sister’s side. Her arms were crossed, though in a relax way. “How’s your first day going, little sister?”

Ruby glanced at her big sister, growling a little. “You mean since you ditched me and I exploded?” she barked.

“Yikes! Melt down already?” she asked carefully.

“No,” Ruby stated, glaring at Yang. “I literally exploded a hole in front of the school! And there was some fire...and I think some ice…?”

Yang put on a big smile and chuckled. “Are you being sarcastic?”

“I wish! I tripped over some crabby girl’s luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she yelled at me again, and I felt really, really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!” Ruby whined softly.

“You!” a familiar shrill voice shouted from behind Ruby.

The young faunus suddenly jumped into her sister’s arms. “Oh, dust, it’s happening again!”

“You’re lucky we weren’t blown off the side of the cliff!” Weiss shouted.

Yang turned her gaze to the girl in her arms. “Oh, my dust...you really exploded.”

“It was an accident.” Ruby insisted as she climbed down. She noticed Weiss’s glare and repeated, “It was an accident!”

Weiss sighs and pulls out a pamphlet titled ‘Dust for dummies and other Inadequate Individuals’, practically thrusting it in a confused Ruby’s face. “What’s this?”

Weiss took a deep breath and started to recite part of the pamphlet. “The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field.”

Ruby kept a horrified expression on her face as the white haired girl spoke seemingly faster and faster. When she concluded, Ruby barely understood. “Uhh….?”

“You really wanna start making things up to me?” Weiss demanded.

Ruby quickly nodded. “Absolutely.”

The heiress thrusted the pamphlet into Ruby’s hands. “Read this, and don’t ever speak to me again.”

Ruby stood in shock, and a momentary silence fell, until Yang spoke up. “Look, uh, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don’t you start over and try to be friends, okay?” she asked softly, trying to make peace between the two.

Ruby smiled gratefully at her sister as she put the pamphlet in her back pocket. “Yeah! Great idea, sis!” The young faunus smiled and held out a hand for Weiss. “Hello, Weiss! I’m Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!”

Weiss puts on a smile and says seemingly enthusiastically. “Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond, and scraggly over there!”

Ruby looked behind Weiss, over at Jaune who she was pointing out. The young blonde also seemed to notice the attention, though Ruby didn’t care. “Wow, really?!”

Weiss expression dropped to a deadly glare and for a moment, she was silent. Ruby could see in her ice blue eyes that she was trying to figure out if Ruby actually thought was was serious. Once she came to a conclusion, she answered in a plain voice. “No.”

Ruby’s expression saddened, but it only lasted a moment before a sound pierced her ears...to most, it would just sound like someone messing with a mic, but it was very loud to her sensitive ears. Her hood twitched a little, thankfully no one noticed as everyone’s attention was drawn to the stage where Ozpin stood ready to speak, Glynda standing beside him.

“I’ll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step.”

Glynda stepped forward as Ozpin walked off. “You will gather in the ballroom tonight, tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready, you are dismissed.”

The two sister watched as everyone started to disperse. Yang leaned over and said softly. “He seemed kind of...off.”

“It’s almost like he wasn’t even there,” Ruby added. Ruby glanced over and saw Weiss try to leave, only to be approached by Jaune.

“I’m a natural blond, you know!” Ruby heard him say.

Weiss sighed and rolled her eyes, face palming and shaking her head at the lack of understanding. She shoved Jaune away and went off with the rest of the students to the ballroom. Ruby chuckled and followed her big sister.   


* * *

The ballroom was more of a giant auditorium, now filled with students, luggage, and sleeping bags. Ruby was actually thankful for her sister being here, it gave her some privacy to change.

Yang sighed as she stood outside the stall door, already in her yellow tank top and shorts. “You almost ready sis? I have to pee…”

“In a minute!” Ruby called out. The young faunus hurried out, making sure her ears were secure under her sleeping mask. Despite what Yang said, little Ruby didn’t feel comfortable having people know what she was. She wanted people to judge her for who she was, not what she was, and based on the way some of the other students smelled, it wasn’t an uncommon thought.

Ruby laid out on her sleeping bag, resting with a little dog pillow under her. She reached out and grabbed a journal from her bag. She took a deep breath and started writing a letter to her friends back home at Signal.

Though her pencil made a nice jagged line down the paper as her sister collapsed on the sleeping bag beside her. “It’s like a big slumber party!”

Ruby sighed as she erased the jagged line. “I don’t think Dad would approve of all the boys, though.”

“I know I do~!”  Yang countered with a purr. Ruby rolled her eyes as Yang eyed some of the muscular shirtless guys in the room. Yang was known back at Signal for having a new partner every week, be it boy or girl, and Ruby would bet her dear Crescent Rose that won’t change any time soon.

Yang groaned as Jaune passed by in a blue onesie footy pajamas. She looked down at her sister with a smile. “What’s that?”

“Oh, just a letter to the gang back at Signal,” Ruby explained softly. “I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going.”

“Aw, that’s so cuuute!” Yang said with a smile, the statement earning her a pillow to the face.

“Shut up!” Ruby growled. “I didn’t get to take my friends with me to school! It’s weird not knowing anyone here!”

“What about Jaune? He’s…” Yang trailed off, glancing away as she tried to think of the right word, “...nice! There you go! Plus one friend! That’s a hundred percent increase!”

Ruby let out a sigh and turned onto her back, holding the puppy pillow close to her chest. “Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero…”

“There’s no such things as negative friends!” Yang corrected her little sister. “You just made one friend and one enemy!” Ruby growled and tossed the puppy pillow at Yang with a grunt. “Look, its only been one day. Trust me; you’ve got friends all around you! You just haven’t met them yet!”

Ruby sighed and grabbed her pillow again. Then a new source of light was cast on the two. Ruby looked over and found that cat-like girl from before, reading a book.

“That girl…” Ruby muttered softly.

“You know her?”

“Not really. She was what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything.”

“Well, now’s your chance!”

With that, Yang sudden grabbed Ruby’s arm and dragged her to her feet. Ruby stumbled after her with a verbal complaint. “Wait! What are you doing?!?”

Ruby struggled in her sister’s firm grasp. She noticed others staring at her, that just made her struggle more.

“Helloooo~!” Yang sang as she waved at the cat girl. Ruby finally managed to pull her self from her sister's grasp. “I believe you two may know each other?”

The cat girl looked up and blinked. “Aren’t you...that girl that exploded?”

Ruby chuckled nervously and held out a hand toward the black haired girl. “Uh, yeah! My name’s Ruby! But you can just call me Crater…” Ruby suddenly stopped and drew her hand back, nervously rubbing the back of her head. “Actually, you can just call me Ruby…”

The black haired girl looked between the two sisters before turning back to her book. “Okay…”

Yang leaned over to her sister and whispered, “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know, help me!”

Both sisters put on a smile and turned back to the girl.

“So...what’s your name?” Yang asked softly.

The girl let out a sigh and answered. “Blake.”

“Well, Blake, I’m Yang, Ruby’s older sister!” Yang said happily. When she didn’t get a response, she added, “I like your bow!”

The girl named Blake looks irritated, though Ruby can’t tell what she’s annoyed at. “Thanks,” Blake hissed.

“It goes great with your…” A nudge from Ruby at least reminds her not all are open. Both sisters know what this girl is, but she’s hiding it, so might as well keep it hidden. “...pajamas!” Yang quickly said.

“Right…”

Yang glances at her sister as she laughs uncomfortably. Yang took a deep breath and spoke. “Nice night, don’t you think?”

“Yes - it’s lovely!” Blake said Ruby could hear it was a forced courtesy. “Almost as lovely as this book! ...That I will continue to read. ...As soon as you leave!”

Blake glared at the two, and Yang caught on that the two weren’t wanted around. “Yeah, this girl’s a lost cause,” the blonde haired boxer said to her sister.

Ruby wasn’t listening, nor did she notice the glare from the cat girl. She stepped forward and asked softly. “What’s it about?”

. Blake suddenly paused. She clearly didn’t expect that question. She looked over at the girl in red. “Huh?”

“Your book. Does it have a name?”

“Well…” Blake looked down at her book and spoke softly. “I-It’s about a man with two souls...each fighting for control over his body.”

“Oh yeah...that’s real lovely,” Yang lamented sarcastically.

Ruby stepped forward again, trying to ignore her sister’s rude comment. “I love books,” the wolf faunus explained. “Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters...they’re one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress.”

“That’s...very ambitions for a child,” Blake said softly. Then her gentle smile turned into a knowing frown. “Unfortunately, the real world isn’t the same as a fairy tale.”

“Well, that’s why we’re here!” Ruby insisted. “To make it better.”

“Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister~!” Yang lifted Ruby into the air in a strong bear hug.

Ruby struggled and tried to push her sister away. It devolved into a friendly...well...sisterly fight in front of Blake.

The cat girl giggled, “Well, Ruby, Yang, its a pleasure to ha-”

“What in the world is going on over here?!?” a shrill voice suddenly cut Blake off and the two tussling sisters. “Don’t you realize some of us are trying to sleep?”

All three girls looked over to find a white haired girl that’s becoming increasingly familiar to Ruby.

Weiss and Yang met each other’s eyes and suddenly shouted. “Oh no, not you again!”

Ruby looked between her sister and the heiress. “Shh! Guys, she’s right. People are trying to sleep!”

“Oh, now you’re on my side!” Weiss snapped.

“I was always on your side!”

“Yeah, what’s your problem with my sister?” Yang interjected. “She’s only trying to be nice!”

“She’s a hazard to my health!”

Blake, who had been observing the fight with an...interesting perspective, finally had enough. She closed her book, grabbed her candle and blew it out, darkening the room. Then she stood and walked through the bickering party. The distraction effectively broke up the fight before it got louder...or physical. Ruby could swear she saw the bow twitch on her head.

Ruby took this moment to grab her sister’s arm and tug her away, back over to their sleeping bags. Though she noticed Yang’s gaze was following the black haired girl.

“Yang no, we’re not starting the school year like this,” Ruby growled.

“I didn’t want to date her!” Yang said defensively. “I just thought...she looked cute...for a kitty cat…”

Ruby glared at her sister with a light growl before she laid down on her sleeping bag. “...the fact you jumped to that as a defense isn’t good, big sis.”

Yang groaned and laid beside her sister. “Well...that white haired devil is right...we should get some sleep. If the rumors are true, we’ll need our rest.”

“She’s no white-haired devil,” Ruby said softly as she rolled on her side, turning her back on her sister. “She’s just a spoiled girl…”

“There’s a difference?”

That made Ruby chuckle one last time before she drifted off to sleep. She always fell asleep easily, especially when she was excited for what the next day held.   



	4. Chapter 4

Ruby awoke to a terrible sound that grated against her ears. It wasn’t her normal alarm...it was too loud. She slowly opened her eyes and looked over at her sister, who was already up surprisingly.

She watched in silence as her sister dug around in her suitcase. For a few moments, Yang didn't notice, though when she turned to grab her pillow, she saw the silver eyes staring at her.

"Ruby, did you just wake up?"

A nod was her only answer. Both sisters knew it was strange for Ruby to awaken after her sister, she was usually up at the crack of dawn, running around already dressed and fed before Yang even starts groaning in her bed. That's what sleeping on the floor will get you.

Slowly Ruby sat up and looked around. It took her a few moments before she noticed all the people around her, the boys changing shirts and pants, the girls getting out their toiletries and retreating to the bathrooms.

Yang smiled at her sister and tossed her a bundle of clothes, the majority of her uniform, except her weapon and extra clips, which she had stored in the locker rooms not far before coming to the ballroom.

Ruby nervously took the clothes and stood, looking at her sister pleadingly. Yang let out an annoyed sigh and said simply, "Just do it in the stall if you're embarrassed."

Ruby shivered a little before slowly walking into the bathroom. She had to wait in a short line for a bathroom stall to hide in as she changed into her uniform. Not far, on the other side of the large tiled room, two girls are teasing a lion faunus, pulling on her tail and calling her a monkey. The blonde haired girl tried to ignore them and bat them off, but they continued to harass her, and Ruby could do nothing, she was scared, she didn't want their wrath either. Ruby just wanted to be left alone.

She watched as suddenly the blonde haired girl whipped around and lashed out, giving one of the girls a sharp punch to the face, she's probably gonna have a black eye. And almost every girl jumped on the faunus, snapping at her for lashing out. That just made Ruby shy away more. Though there was one ray of light.

Standing behind her was a mammoth of a girl, taller than Yang even with dark copper hair and she was not amused. "This is why they fear us..." she grumbled. "We push and push...then blame them when they snap back."

Ruby found herself nodding at her statement. The girl put the bundle of cloth clothes on the ground before pushing herself through the crowd, pushing some other bully girls away from the much smaller girl, who hurried into an open small without gratitude. Ruby was going to say something to the six-foot-tall girl though she noticed another open stall and quickly ducked inside.

* * *

Ruby, now more comfortable with her hood on her head, left the bathroom. She couldn't see the large girl from before but tried to remember to say something to her if she saw her. Ruby skipped out of the bathroom to join her sister. She noticed two people not far away, a black haired boy in green, and a red-haired girl in pink...and the redhead was the embodiment of energy, while the one in green was just putting up with it.

Ruby chuckled at their interactions, before returning to her sister. Yang smiled at the smaller girl as she approached. "See? Nothing bad happened. To you at least..."

Ruby opened her mouth to ask, though she fell silent when her sister turned around. Yang pulled her long yellow hair over her shoulder, revealing the lower plates on her back weren't covered by her small jacket. In between two of her scales, a small ball of paper was stuck. Ruby let out a sigh before carefully picking out the small paper ball.

“See, this is why I hide...I just-”

“You just want to be left alone, I know. Dad knows. Everyone knows,” Yang said with a groan.

Ruby shied away before going to pack up her things. She knew her sister was mad...or at least frustrated. Ruby herself had never been treated badly for what she is, she’s only watched as her sister and father be teased and ridiculed. The reason she’s been left alone is because she hides, and have stayed hidden most of her life. From the outside looking in, it must seem like she resents being a faunus. She really doesn’t, she’s just afraid of being treated like a freak.

Ruby tied up her sleeping bag as Yang brushed her hair. For a moment, the hair brush got stuck in Yang’s wild mess of her hair. Ruby chuckled softly before reaching out and helping her older sister. Then the two were off to breakfast...only stalling for a moment for Ruby to check in her locker to make sure Crescent Rose is alright.

Yang rolled her eyes and pulled her sister out of the locker room, promising they could return after they had something to eat.

* * *

True to her word, Yang allowed Ruby to drag her back, only after she had about two servings of pancakes and half of Ruby’s. The younger sister tugs the other towards their lockers and quickly opens hers.

Yang chuckled at her sister’s excitement as she grabbed her gauntlets and loaded them with her fire dust cartridges. Ruby pulled out her own weapon and looked it over as if something would have happened to it between the night and the morning.

“Not ‘together-together,'” a redheaded girl sang as her and a boy in green passed the two sisters.

“Wonder what those two are so worked up about?” Ruby wondered as she watched the two walk by.

“Oh, who knows?” Yang said with a shrug. Then she turned her attention back to her sister. “So, you seem awfully chipper all of the sudden!”

“Yep!” Ruby said with a smile, her hood twitching, slightly. “No more awkward small talk, or ‘getting-to-know-you’ stuff. Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking.” Ruby let out a happy sigh, and she almost creepily stroked Crescent Rose.

“Well, remember, Ruby, you’re not the only one going through initiation,” Yang said simply. “If you wanna grow up, you’re gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together.”

Ruby let out a frustrated sigh. “You sound like Dad!” she snapped as she sheathed her weapon behind her back. “Okay, first of all: What does meeting people have to do with fighting? And secondly: I don’t need people to help me grow up! I drink milk!” She explained with a hand on her chest.

Yang rolled her eyes and stared at her sister. “But what about when we form teams?”

Ruby shrank at that comment. “Um...well...I don’t know...I’ll just...just be on your team...or something…” she mumbled nervously.

Yang rocked on her feet before pulling her hair over her shoulder and running her fingers through it. “Maybe...you should...uh...try being on someone else’s team?” she purposed nervously.

Ruby slid towards her sister and put a finger on her chest. “My dear sister Yang, are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?”

“What? No! Of course, I do!” Yang covered quickly, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. “I just thought...I don’t know, maybe it would help you...break out of your shell!” the older girl explained as she flicked Ruby’s hood

“What the-?!? I don’t need to ‘break out of my shell’!” Ruby said defensively as she fixed her hood on her head. “That’s absolutely-”

“Ridiculous!” someone interrupted. Ruby stepped back as the boy from before, Juane, stepped between the two. He looked down at a sheet of paper, then up at his surroundings, or more so, the lockers that lined the wall. “There’s no way I put my gear in locker 636 last night! I would’ve remembered having to count that high!”

Ruby watched as Juane passed, wondering if he really counted the lockers. She opened her mouth to say something, though Yang silenced her with a wave. Ruby shrugged and watched the boy wander over to that girl in white, Weiss, and another girl with fire red hair and wearing some type of armor, it almost seemed Greek. Ruby shifted positions so she could hear better.

Juane slid between the two girls, smiling at Weiss. “You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you.”

Weiss twitched slightly as turned to look at the blonde boy. “You again?” she growled.

The taller girl quickly spoke up. “Nice to meet you, Juane!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jaune rudely pushed the other girl aside to talk to Weiss. “So, Weiss, couldn’t help but overhear your fondness of me the other day.”

Weiss stared at Jaune like he had a screw loose. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Don’t worry!” Jaune explained, clearly not understanding what she meant. “No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumors about teams. I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?”

The red haired girl quickly spoke to gets Jaune’s attention. “Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so-”

“You don’t say.” Jaune quickly spun around and smiled at the new girl, as if just noticing her. “Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team.”

At that, Ruby visibly cringed, and Yang chuckled, though neither made their presence known. This was gonna be too funny.

Weiss glared at Jaune as she shoved the two apart. “Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?” she demanded.

Jaune shrugged, and he responded. “Not in the slightest, snow angel.”

“This is Pyrrha!” Weiss said sharply.

“Hello again!” the red head spoke up.

“Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum!” Weiss snapped, stepping towards Jaune.

“Never heard of it.”

“She’s won the Mistral Region Tournaments four years in a row!” Weiss scoffed. “A new record!”

“The what?”

Weiss twitched and waved her arms in the air as she got frustrated. “She’s on the front of every Pumpkin Pete’s Marshmallow Flakes box!”

Jaune suddenly gasped and pointed at Pyrrha. “That’s you?!? But they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!”

“Yeah, it was pretty cool…” Pyrrha said embarrassedly. “Sadly, the cereal isn’t very good for you.”

Weiss once again shoved the two apart and spoke. “So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you’re in a position to ask her to be on your team?”

“I guess not...sorry…”

Ruby was about to step forward to say something, but Pyrrha stepped up first. She put a hand on his shoulder and spoke. “Actually, Jaune, I think you’d make a great leader!”

Jaune immediately perked up, like a small puppy just told he was a good boy. “D’oh, stop it!”

“Seriously please stop it,” Weiss grumbled. “This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!”

Jaune smirked and leaned over towards Weiss. “Sounds like Pyrrha’s on board for Team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick! Now, I’m not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings...find a place for you. What do you say?”

Weiss steps back, holding up her hands to keep Jaune from coming closer. “A-alright, that’s a bit too close! Pyrrha, a little help, please?!?”

There was a click as Pyrrha pulled out her spear weapon and launched it at Juane, who just barely look up to see it. The spear caught the hood of his hoodie and slammed him back into another row of lockers. “I’m sorry!” she called out.

Weiss, Yang, and Pyrrha all looked up as a beep is heard. The intercom came to life and out came the voice of Glynda Goodwitch. “Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately.”

“That’s mean us, sis,” Yang said, shaking her sister from her eavesdropping. “Come on, let’s go, sis.”

“R-right.” Ruby shook her head clear and padded after her sister.

The sisters walked over to where Jaune is slumped over in defeat and Yang just chuckled. “Having some trouble there, lady-killer?” she teased.

“I don’t understand...my dad said all women look for is confidence! Where did I go wrong?” Jaune let out a depressed sigh as he took Ruby’s hand to lift himself back up.

“‘Snow Angel’ probably wasn’t the best start,” Yang spoke up.

Ruby stifled a giggle and smiled a little. “Come on, Jaune, let’s go.”

Jaune reluctantly nodded and walked with Ruby supporting him. Yang rolled her eyes and playfully batted her sister on the back of the head.

“He has a bruised ego, not a broken leg, hurry up Ruby!” Yang snaps. Ruby let out a long sigh and hurried up to catch up with her sister, Jaune hurrying beside her. The two sisters helped him find his locker, then hurried to Beacon Cliff.

* * *

The freshman were ushered over to a place called Beacon Cliff. Ruby stood on a metal pad between her sister and Juane. Strangely, Ozpin wasn't there...yet at least. Glynda was present though, she was fiddling with a tablet in her hands. Ruby took this momentary lull to observe her surroundings.

Over the lip of the cliff is a large forest...though they were so high up, Ruby couldn't see the ground through the green of the leafs. Ruby looked to her left and saw a line of about fourteen students, all of varying sizes and all having different weapons. She shivered when she noticed Weiss standing about six students down. Everyone looked so confident and certain...Ruby felt out of place. But she wasn't alone. Turning to her right, she saw Jaune, looking around very confused, though the expression wasn't a new thing. Ruby sighed softly and cast her gaze downward, taking note of the metal plate she was instructed to stand on. Glancing up to see if Glynda was watching, Ruby silent pulled out Crescent Rose. She crouched down and tapped the metal plate with the nuzzle of her gun, listening carefully to the sound.

"Miss Rose, stand up and put your weapon away." Ruby looked up to find Glynda staring down at her.

Ruby chuckled nervously and slowly stood, rehooking Crescent Rose behind her. Yang chuckled at her sister getting scolded, though Ruby was too busy to notice. She smiled, looking down at the metal plate. It's a springboard. And based on the sound the hollow metal plate made, it's a big spring...and very tense. Once again, she glanced to her left, wondering if the others knew...she knew Jaune didn't know...he still has that strange confusion plastered on his face.

"Ahem." Ruby looked up as someone...Ozpin cleared his throat. When did he get here? Ruby glanced at her sister, who looked equally surprised by his sudden nonchalant appearance, as Ozpin began speaking. "For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," Glynda added. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates...today."

"What? Ohhh..." Ruby groaned. She glanced at her sister, who just shrugged slightly.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well.”

Ruby groaned, and she felt her ears press close to her head. She hated working with other people.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years," Ozpin added.

"What!?!?" Ruby yelped, her world shattering.

Ozpin nodded, glancing at the young girl before continuing. “After you’ve partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path...or you will die.”

Ruby glanced beside her as Jaune laughed nervously. He rocked on his heels and Ruby just...smiled. Fighting is what she did best. She reached up and pulled her down, making sure her ears are hidden, she’s been known to flip off her hood without thinking when she got excited.

“You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics.  Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will weigh that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

Ruby glanced over as Jaune raised his hand. "Yeah, um, sir?"

Ozpin looked down the row, ignoring the poor boy. "Good!" he exclaimed with finality. "Now, take your positions."

With that said, Ruby braced herself. She lowered herself and put a hand on her weapon. She knew what came next. She glanced to her left and watched as each student was flung into the sky. It's almost like this was designed so Jaune could ask exactly how he's going to get down from the cliff. His obliviousness made Ruby giggle, though she had to focus. She glanced over as Yang's turn came up. Yang winked at her sister before putting on a set of aviators. Then she was launched into the air with a shout.

Ruby took a deep breath and steadied herself...then with a sharp clang, she's vaulted into the air along with the rest of the students, her red cape fluttering in the air as she is launched upward. Behind her, Jaune screamed as he was launched into the air.


	5. Chapter 5

Ruby whipped through the air, her gaze focused down at the forest. It was strangely peaceful. The wind tore her hood off, and she flinched as the wind blew in her ears. She forced her ears back, trying to keep the almost painfully fast wind from blasting against the sensitive fur inside. Then she slammed into a small black bird that was just flying over the forest.

“Birdie, no!” Ruby exclaimed as she spits feathers out of her mouth.

The girl in red quickly shook her head and pulled out her weapon, holding the rifle close in front of her, firing into the open air to slow herself down. Then she flipped around in mid-air, turning so her back was to the ground and her feet were in front of her. She extended Crescent Rose out behind her, seeing her landing opportunity.

Her scythe caught a high branch of a tree, but it was too thin, and Ruby easily spun off of it. The girl in red was now plummeting into a bunch of branches and trees, she had to stop herself before she hit the ground. No amount of aura was gonna make that feel good. She turned her scythe to the side, flinching as it got caught between the trunk of a tree and a branch. She dropped down onto a sturdy branch beneath her. Before doing anything else, she reached into her small hip bag and pulled out a black headband...enough to blend in with her hair. Very carefully she looked around before taking off her hood and pulling the headband over her ears, effectively hiding them.

Ruby twitched a little, annoyed by the pressure on her ears...though she knows when the fighting starts, she’ll forget the discomfort. The girl in red pulled up her hood once again and reached up, unhooking her precious weapon from the limb above her. Then a bang drew her attention.

“Yang!” she yelped, even though she doesn’t know if that even is Yang. She collapsed her weapon down, sheathing it on her back before jumping down to the ground. She dropped to the ground with a thud.

She raised to her feet and bolted off towards the sound of the bang, rose petals fluttering behind her.  _ ‘Gotta find Yang! Gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang, gotta find…’ _ “Yang! Yang!” she called out, though she was greeted with only silence. At this point, Ruby was getting a little...on edge.

_ ‘Oh, this is bad, this is really bad...what if I can’t find her? What if someone finds her first?’  _ Ruby rocked a little, slowing down enough to slip out of her semblance.  _ ‘Well...there’s always Jaune. He’s nice. He’s funny! ...I don’t think he’s very good in a fight, though...ooh! What about Blake? So mysterious, so calm...plus she likes books! Then again...I’m not sure I’d be able to hold a conversation with her…’  _ Ruby mentally groans and shook her head from her daydreams. She took a deep breath and tried to organize her thoughts.  _ ‘Okay...who else do I know in this school? There’s Yang...Jaune...Blake...and…’ _

Sensing an aura in her path, Ruby is forced to stop pondering and slow down to avoid hitting the unmoving person. She slid to a stop and slowly looked up. She knew who it was before she even saw her face. Only one person could wear white that pure.  _ ‘And Weiss…’ _

Ruby looked up and met Weiss’s gaze. A small smile grew on her face...at least it was someone she knew...even if Weiss hated her, it was better than some random person. Ruby smiled a little more as the two stood there in silence for a beat or two. Then Weiss turned on her heels and walked away without a word.

Ruby yelped and stumbled after her. “Wait! Where are you going?!?” The girl in red stopped as Weiss disappeared behind a bush, and kicked a rock dejectedly. “...we’re supposed to be teammates…”

Ruby sighed, flicking her cape behind her. Now what was she supposed to do? Ozpin said the first person she ran into...and that person just walked away. She looked up and watched Weiss struggle through bushes, pulling her combat skirt out of bushes.

A grunt drew both girls’ attention. Looking up, Ruby found Jaune pinned to a tree. The blonde boy smiled down at Weiss sheepishly, though again she turned on her heel and walked away.

She walked past Ruby, grabbing the girl by her hood. “By no means does this make us friends…”

Ruby smiled and visibly celebrated, waving her arms in the air. “You came back!” The girl in red wasn’t even worried that her hood was just ripped off.

Weiss dragged Ruby past a large bush, away from Jaune and his pleading to be let down. The girl in white let go of Ruby to brush her uniform of leaves. Ruby brushed off her combat skirt and pulled up her hood, just to keep up appearances. She looked up to find Weiss already storming off.

Ruby hurried after her. “What’s the hurry?”

“I will not let my mission be delayed because you’re too slow!” she snapped back. Ruby stopped walking and glared at the back of Weiss’ head as she continued rambling. “I swear, if I get a bad grade because of your-” the girl jumped as Ruby burst to her side, pawing at the girl in white playfully. “What the…?”

“I’m not slow, see?” Ruby said, pointing to herself proudly. She then put her hands on her hips and smiled. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

Weiss looked back where Ruby was before, slightly surprised. “When did…?”

Ruby sighed and dropped her arms. “Weiss, just because I don’t exactly know how to deal with people doesn’t mean I don’t know how to deal with monsters.” Ruby smiled and slid over, putting an arm around Weiss’ shoulders as she crossed her arms, along with a look akin to ‘I will murder your face', though Ruby ignored this and continued. “You’re about to see a whole different side of me today, Weiss, and after it’s all over, you’re going to be like, “Wow! That Ruby girl is really, really cool…” with a glance at Weiss’ skeptical look Ruby sheepishly added. “...and I wanna be her friend!”

Before Weiss was even given a chance to respond, Ruby sensed something coming close. Her ears twitched underneath the headband, and she hurried off, leaving Weiss in a flurry of rose petals. Ruby darted up a tree and looked around.  _ ‘Beowulf...where are you…?’  _ she thought to herself, looking around for the Grimm she sensed.

“You may be fast, but you still excel at wasting time!” Weiss called out. The bushes start to rustle as Ruby looks down at Weiss, wondering how she doesn’t sense the Grimm around her. “Ruby?” Weiss called out hesitantly as if she finally noticed something was wrong.

_ ‘She can’t be that dim?’  _ Ruby thought to herself, then a sound caught her attention. A growl. Her silver gaze snapped to bush behind Weiss as a Beowulf stalked out of the bush. The white haired girl spun around as the Beowulf roared at her.

“Ruby!” she called out, and Ruby decided this was going to be a long few years...if she was truly stuck with this white heiress…


	6. Chapter 6

Ruby sat silently in a tree, carefully watching the Beowulf. It was a whole pack, circling the girl in white, who seemed strangely calm. Ruby shook her head, as she watched Weiss prepare herself. Her form was perfect...but stiff. Ruby would laugh if she weren't nervous about alerting the Beowulf.

Ruby slowed her breathing, unsheathing Crescent Rose and expanding it with a quiet click. She watched carefully, waiting for the opening...there! Ruby darted out of the tree and slashed at one of the Beowulf, stunning it.

“Gotcha!” she said with a grin before she heard a yelp behind her. The one in the red cloak turned around and looked at the other warrior in training as she swung her sword, sending a burst of fire towards a tree...and setting it on fire.

Being distracted by Weiss’ fumble, Ruby barely manages to raise her weapon to block a strike from Beowulf, the force of the blow making her stumbling backward into Weiss.

“Hey, watch it!” Ruby snapped as she got back to her feet.

“Excuse me!” Weiss snapped. “You attacked out of turn! I could have killed you!”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “You’ll have to try a lot harder than that…” she mumbled.

Ruby refocused on the Grimm surrounding her and Weiss, this was no time to stand around and chat. She shifted positions, feeling her weapon’s, or more so her ammo cartridge’s, weight in her hands. She popped it out, letting the empty casing fall to the ground before grabbing a new one. With a click, it was in place, and Ruby was ready. She drew her blade back, prepping the bolt action for a charge forward when a rumble drew her attention. The tree Weiss had ignited finally fell near the two girls.

Ruby’s arm was suddenly grabbed by Weiss. “We have to go!” she said sternly before dragging Ruby to her feet and away from the fire that was now spreading to the rest of the clearing. Behind her, Ruby could hear the Beowulves howling, both in retreat and in pain. No one likes fire...not even the Grimm.

Ruby pulled herself from Weiss’ grip, but still followed, not wanting to lose who’s supposed to be her new partner. When Weiss finally came to a stop, Ruby looked back at the burning fire.

“What was that?! That should’ve been easy!” Ruby snapped at the panting heiress.

Weiss stood up and glared at the girl in red. “Well perhaps if you had exercised even the slightest amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I wouldn’t have set the forest on fire!” Weiss ended her scolding by pointing at the black smoke billowing through the trees.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ruby scoffed.

“I’m just surprised that someone who talks so much would communicate so little during an encounter!”

“Well, I’m sorry you need my help to win a fight. I’m just fine on my own!”

“Well, congratulations on being the strongest child to sneak your way into Beacon!” Weiss turned around and threw up her arms. “Bravo!”

Ruby growled as she watched Weiss walk away. Her growl turned into an angered shriek as she unsheathed her weapon and lashed out, cutting down a nearby tree in rage. She didn’t know why this stupid, arrogant heiress made her so angry, she just. Just something about her, the way she talks or maybe the way she carries herself just makes Ruby angry. But rules are rules, so Ruby follows her new partner...dreading the next four years and what they’ll bring.

Ruby’s ears twitch under the band that restrained them, though Ruby assumed this was just out of rage as she followed Weiss,. She let the girl in white lead her to where she thought the ruins that held the relics were, though as the two wandered around the forest it became increasingly clear neither knew where they were.

Forget this being a long four years, Ruby decided this is just going to be a long day that she’ll be lucky to get through without going crazy and going out to search for some more Grimm to fight. Even a Nevermore would be better than this.


End file.
